Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 7

Ihan thought to himself, ‘This looks like a mix of lingzhi mushroom and ginseng.’

That’s what came to mind when he saw the medicinal herb they were supposed to find.

It was called [Herb Name], and the notes said it was used to make antidotes.

“Have you handled it before?” Ihan asked.

“Yes,” Yoner replied.

“That’s a relief,” Ihan said.

Ihan felt much better knowing Yoner had handled it before.

It was really hard to tell the difference between all the grasses and herbs scattered on the hills, in the fields, and near the forest.

Even with pictures of the herbs, it was easy for someone who didn’t know much to get confused.

Someone with experience was a great help in that situation.

“But… it’s a bit much for just the two of us to move around,” Ihan said.

“Is it really that dangerous?” Yoner asked.

“Right? It’s best to have at least three people when wandering around. I even argued with Gainan to get him to come with us, but it was pointless.”

“Even if you hadn’t argued with him, he wouldn’t have come, so it doesn’t matter,” Yoner said, grinning at Ihan.

“Then, should we just wander around by ourselves?” Ihan asked.

“No. I don’t want my name on the list of the dead,” Yoner replied.

Einroguard was known for its dangers, and there were many scary rumors about it.

Magic was so dangerous that some students died while learning it.

Ihan used to think it was unavoidable.

He thought accidents were bound to happen, no matter how much the professors cared.

But now, looking at it, he thought, ‘Isn’t it just a general lack of safety awareness?’

From the professors to the students, everyone at Einroguard didn’t seem to care much about their lives. Ihan, who valued safety more than most, thought they were all acting recklessly.

“A list of the dead… don’t make creepy jokes with that face. It doesn’t suit you,” Ihan said.

“I wasn’t joking,” Yoner replied.

“If it’s not a joke, it’s even scarier, you know? Yeah, I think it’s better to have someone from our Blue Dragon Tower,” Yoner said, looking around, hoping to find a student from their tower to team up with.

But there was no one there.

“Oh… are we doomed?” Yoner asked.

“Can’t we talk to the Princess?” Ihan suggested.

“You actually want to talk to that Princess? She seems incredibly prickly,” Yoner said.

“We’re trying to find herbs, not throw a ball, aren’t we?” Ihan pointed out.

Yoner nodded. He had a point.

“But I think it’s already too late.”

Several students were already gathered near Adenart.

The Princess must have felt the need to travel in groups because she had already formed a party.

“Wait. Is that a freshman from the Black Tortoise Tower over there?” Yoner asked.

Ihan felt a bit wronged.

If they were scared of the Wodanaz family and avoiding them, shouldn’t they avoid the Princess as well?

But surprisingly, some of the students gathered around the Princess were from the Black Tortoise Tower.

“Well, that Princess has been famous in many ways since before she even entered the academy…” Yoner said.

Famous people were famous even before entering the academy.

Adenart was known among the royals for her exceptional intellect and remarkable talent.

It was only natural that many nobles and commoners gathered around her as soon as she entered.

“Was she?” Ihan asked.

“…Even if you’re from the Wodanaz family, didn’t you read the newspapers?” Yoner asked.

“I usually only read the section on the Empire’s new projects in the newspaper. I’m not very interested in news about the royals,” Ihan replied.

“Ah. That was interesting. Did you see the one where adventurers get coins back if they bring back the potion bottles they used in the dungeon instead of throwing them away? It’s a good idea, isn’t it?” Yoner asked.

“It was a good idea,” Ihan agreed.

“…No. This isn’t the time to talk about that,” Yoner said, snapping back to attention. The conversation was drifting off course.

“Anyway, you could have known if you just looked at news about the royals. Adenart was famous in many ways. So it’s natural that people gather around her like that.”

“Did Gainan have anything like that?” Ihan asked.

“No,” Yoner replied.

“I see. Gainan is nothing special then,” Ihan concluded.

“He really isn’t anything special,” Yoner confirmed.

Gainan, who was drinking a potion in the sickroom, was unfairly attacked by their words.

“Then let’s give up on the Princess and find someone else,” Ihan suggested.

“Do you think that’ll work? It seems like the only ones left are students from the Black Tortoise Tower,” Yoner said.

Ihan frowned.

‘Hmm,’ he thought.

Indeed, it seemed like the only ones left were students from the Black Tortoise Tower.

Of course, if they just grabbed anyone and asked them to join, some might agree.

But since they were working together, shouldn’t they avoid being a hindrance to each other?

More than anything…

‘It would be good if they had some ability,’ Ihan thought.

When doing something as a group, wasn’t each other’s abilities important?

Ihan looked around, and he found a suitable person.

Nilia, a freshman from the Black Tortoise Tower, was a dark elf from the Shadow Patrol of the northern Empire.

The Shadow Patrol was a group of excellent hunters and scouts who roamed the northern mountains as if they were their own backyard.

Having been born in such a place, Nilia was confident in her ability to navigate forests and mountains.

‘What is this? It’s not that difficult,’ she thought.

She had never seen the [Herb Name] before, but once she knew what it looked like, finding it was easy.

It was much easier than it was for the novices who had never even been in a mountain or forest in their lives.

In fact, after entering Einroguard, Nilia had been feeling inferior.

There were too many outstanding freshmen, not only from other towers but also within the Black Tortoise Tower itself.

Freshmen from newly emerging noble families, famous merchant families in the Empire, or even those with renowned adventurers as parents.

Among such people, Nilia, who had spent her life running between mountains and forests before being invited to the school, couldn’t help but feel inferior.

The magic classes she had never heard of before were daunting…

So it was only natural that Nilia’s motivation soared when she encountered a class like this.

‘Hmph. Just you wait. I’ll find it several times faster than those other guys,’ she thought.

Nilia was planning to move quickly on her own and find the [Herb Name].

While others, unfamiliar with mountains and forests, would stick together in groups, Nilia was confident she could do it alone.

“Ahem.”

“?”

Nilia was slightly surprised when someone approached her. It was a pretty girl with red hair.

“…Who are you?” Nilia asked.

“I’m Yoner from the Maykin family. This is…”

“Ihan. Nice to meet you,” Ihan said.

From their words, Nilia guessed that Yoner was a noble and Ihan was not.

Nobles usually mentioned their family name first when introducing themselves.

‘But they’re from the Blue Dragon Tower?’ she thought.

“Why is she like that?” Yoner asked Ihan.

“It’s because you didn’t say your family name…” Ihan replied.

Yoner looked at Ihan as if he was ridiculous.

Why would he say his name but not his family name?

“Isn’t it too much of a hassle to say your family name every time you introduce yourself? Next time, I’ll have to start with the name of the head of the family, where the family lands are, and then introduce myself,” Ihan said.

“Isn’t that what you do when nobles have parties?” Yoner asked.

“……”

Ihan looked genuinely disgusted at Yoner’s words.

Nilia, who was watching this, opened her mouth with a wary voice.

“If you two are going to chat, go chat somewhere else. Why are you here doing this?” she asked.

“Won’t you join us?” Ihan asked.

“!”

Nilia was startled by Ihan’s words.

She hadn’t expected it.

“What’s the catch?” Nilia asked, looking at Ihan with a hostile gaze.

She didn’t think much of the children of noble families.

It was the same when she lived in the north.

The nobles who occasionally came to the mountains would wrinkle their noses and say, ‘How can people live in a place like this?’

Even when the hunters treated them to the best food and the best beds, the nobles would constantly complain that it wasn’t tasty, it wasn’t comfortable, or that they were being treated poorly.

Some of the scouts would even joke, ‘Wouldn’t anyone notice if we pretended to guide them through the mountains and pushed them off a cliff?’

Having grown up in such a place, Nilia had no reason to think well of the students from the Blue Dragon Tower.

“It’s disadvantageous to wander around alone in such a wide place. If a monster appears, you need at least three people,” Ihan explained.

“Hmph. I don’t need it,” Nilia scoffed and refused. Ihan wasn’t surprised and asked, “May I ask why?”

“Why do you need a reason?” Nilia retorted.

“Depending on why you refused, we can figure out what kind of person you are. Hmm. Shall I take a guess?” Ihan hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.

“You don’t think we’d use you as bait or abandon you if we were in danger, do you? That would be a complete disregard for our honor,” Ihan said.

“…That’s not it,” Nilia mumbled.

No one could say ‘that’s right’ after hearing those words from two people from noble families.

No matter how much Nilia disliked them, she couldn’t say that.

“Then do you think you’re good enough on your own?” Ihan asked.

“That’s exactly…”

“Surely not. No matter how good you are, you never know what might happen in the mountains and forests. Besides, it’s not just about finding the herbs, you have to carefully dig them up too, right? If you think you can do all that by yourself, you’re really stupid. I don’t think you’re that kind of person. Hmm. I really don’t know the reason,” Ihan continued.

“…Shut up. I’ll just go with you!” Nilia said, turning around, huffing.

Ihan nodded in satisfaction at the sight. Yoner looked at Ihan with surprised eyes.

‘What on earth do they teach in the Wodanaz family?’ she wondered.

Nilia’s pace was light and fast.

The way she took the lead and quickly made her way through the path was truly like a skilled hunter.

Yoner looked at Ihan with curiosity and asked, “She really moves well, but how did you know and talk to her?”

“Looking at it, her leg and calf muscles are well-developed, and she has calluses and hardened skin on her hands and fingers. That’s what happens when you hold a bow. It’s evidence that only experienced hunters have,” Ihan explained.

“!”

“!”

Not only Yoner but also Nilia, who was walking in front, felt a chill down her spine.

To think he could guess her background with such things.

She had looked down on him because he was from a noble family, but that boy, Ihan, had a strange aura that couldn’t be easily dismissed.

As if he could see through people’s minds…

“Just kidding, she had a Shadow Patrol badge on her waist. If she’s from there, she must be good at climbing mountains,” Ihan said.

“……”

Nilia turned her head sharply and glared at Ihan.

Yoner smiled and asked, “Were you listening?”

“I wasn’t listening!” Nilia retorted.

“Let’s go together. Match our pace,” Yoner suggested.

“Why should I match you? You should match me!” Nilia exclaimed.

Ihan replied to Nilia’s words, “Well, Yoner is the only one here who can identify the herbs. If Yoner gets tired and collapses, we’ll have to find them ourselves.”

“……”

Nilia was speechless again. But her pride wouldn’t allow her to be unreasonable.

“Okay. I’ll slow down,” Nilia conceded.

“Oh. As expected of the Shadow Patrol, you’re wise…” Ihan said.

“Are you mocking me?? Huh??” Nilia asked, her anger rising.

“It’s a compliment,” Ihan replied.

Perhaps because she kept getting outsmarted by Ihan, Nilia turned her anger elsewhere.

“She says she can identify herbs, and I’ll be the guide. What’s your ability? What’s your role?” Nilia challenged Ihan.

‘She’ll get angry if I say I’m freeloading, right?’ Ihan thought, stopping himself from saying that. There was no need to provoke her.

“My role is to chase away any wild animals or monsters that appear,” Ihan said.

“……”

Nilia was speechless again. The person who chases away monsters when climbing mountains was important.

Looking at him, Ihan seemed to be from a knight family. He was tall, and his physique was well-built as if he had been trained.

‘…Huh? Aren’t knights from the White Tiger Tower?’ she thought.

“I don’t think I heard you earlier. What did you say your family name was?” Nilia asked.

“Wodanaz. The Wodanaz family,” Ihan replied.

“……”

Nilia took a step back with a disgusted expression. Ihan was slightly hurt. Nilia’s face changed when she heard ‘Wodanaz.’ She had heard stories about that family – not good ones.